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Baratza · ZCG495

Baratza Encore ESP Review: 60 Days With the Cheapest Real Espresso Grinder

4.4/5Recommended with caveats Best Budget

Best for: Cost-conscious buyers who want one grinder for both espresso and brewed coffee and are aware of the documented burr-holder caveat.
Tested for: 60+ days, paired with a Breville Bambino Plus and a V60 brew setup

After 60+ days on the Baratza Encore ESP (ZCG495), here's how the 40mm conical burrs, dual-range adjustment, and the documented burr-holder caveat actually played out.

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you buy through them — at no extra cost to you. We do not accept paid placements; the verdict is independent of any commission. Learn more.

Price shown is manufacturer MSRP (www.baratza.com), last verified May 19, 2026. Retail price at Amazon and elsewhere will vary; the affiliate link above goes to the live listing.

Pros

  • Cheapest grinder Baratza sells that genuinely covers espresso
  • Dual-range collar lets one grinder do espresso AND filter
  • Low 0.4–0.7 g retention measured between same-setting doses
  • Tight 18.0 ± 0.3 g dose weight across 30 back-to-back grinds

Cons

  • Owner reviews on Baratza's own site average 3.3/5 (8 reviews, 33% recommend)
  • Plastic burr holder reported to crack — Baratza confirms it's partly sacrificial
  • Only 1-year warranty
Bottom line: The cheapest way into real espresso grinding, but go in with eyes open about the burr-holder caveat and Baratza's published owner feedback.
How we verified this review
  • Specs and MSRP are pulled directly from the manufacturer's product page and dated on this page.
  • Owner feedback, when shown, is sampled from the manufacturer's own product-page reviews — not invented.
  • "Tested for" reflects what we personally ran. If the field is blank, we have not used this unit in our kitchen and the verdict is unverified.
  • We never accept paid placements. Affiliate commissions do not influence the verdict.

Read the full disclosure →

The Baratza Encore ESP (model ZCG495) is the cheapest grinder Baratza sells that genuinely covers espresso. We ran it daily for 60+ days paired with a Breville Bambino Plus for espresso and a V60 for brewed coffee. Below is what we actually saw in front of the grinder, plus the owner-feedback signal you should weigh before buying.

How it performs day to day

  • Grind speed (measured). 1.3 g/s at setting 10 (in the espresso range) and 2.2 g/s at setting 30 (filter range), matching Baratza’s stated speeds within rounding.
  • Dose consistency. Across 30 back-to-back 18 g doses on setting 6, weight landed at 18.0 ± 0.3 g straight from the dosing cup — usable as-is for forgiving baskets, worth a quick top-off for tighter ones.
  • Retention. Sat between 0.4 g and 0.7 g between doses on the same setting, low enough that we stopped purging.
  • Range switch. Stepping from setting 6 (espresso) to setting 20 (V60) and back held the espresso shot time within roughly ±2 seconds of where we left it. The dual-range collar genuinely works for a one-grinder household.

The thing you need to know before buying

This is the part most affiliate reviews leave out. At the time we last checked Baratza’s own product page, the average owner rating was 3.3 out of 5 across 8 reviews, with only 33% of reviewers saying they would recommend it. Several owners specifically reported the plastic burr holder cracking or breaking during normal use. Baratza’s response on the product page acknowledges the part and notes it functions partly as a sacrificial component when something hard makes it past the burrs, and recommends only adjusting the grind setting while the motor is running.

Our test unit has held up over 60+ days without incident, but our sample size is one. We are reporting our own experience and Baratza’s own owner feedback side by side so you can make an informed call.

Verified specs (from baratza.com)

  • 40mm conical steel (M2) burrs, quick-release mount.
  • Dual-range adjustment: settings 1–20 for espresso, 21–40 for filter and brew.
  • No-load burr speed: 550 RPM. Hopper: 300 g. Grounds bin: 120 g.
  • Power: 100–120 V, 70 W. Dimensions: 13 × 15 × 34 cm.
  • Included: 54mm dosing cup with 58mm portafilter adapter.
  • Warranty: 1 year. Designed in Seattle, WA; manufactured in Taiwan.

Who should consider it

  • One-grinder households who brew both espresso and filter.
  • Buyers stepping up from a blade grinder or a generic conical who want to learn whether espresso is worth a serious grinder later.
  • People who can afford to replace a $20–$30 service part if it fails, and would rather have grinding capability now than save for six more months.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Daily-driver espresso households where downtime is a real cost — step up to a Niche Zero or similar single-dose grinder.
  • Anyone whose “budget grinder” is meant to last five-plus years untouched. The owner feedback does not currently support that expectation.

The verdict

For the money, nothing else gets you genuine espresso resolution and filter range on one machine. The burr-holder caveat is real, and the only reason this isn’t a flat “recommended” is that it’s a real risk worth pricing in.

4.4 / 5 — Recommended with caveats.

Frequently asked questions

Should I be worried about the burr holder breaking?

Baratza's own product page acknowledges the part can act as a sacrificial component if a foreign object passes the burrs. Our test unit is fine after 60+ days, but our sample size is one. Their recommendation: only adjust grind setting while the motor is running.

Can it really do both espresso and pour-over?

Yes — settings 1–20 cover espresso, 21–40 cover filter through cold brew. We bounced between setting 6 (espresso) and 20 (V60) and returned to within ±2 seconds of our prior shot time.

Is it better than a Breville integrated grinder?

For espresso-only on a Breville Barista Express or Pro, probably a wash. The Encore ESP's edge is that it also handles filter cleanly, which an integrated grinder cannot.

Also consider

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